PIB Headquarters
MGNREGA WORKS' RESUMPTION REJUVENATES RURAL LIVELIHOOD
<A record Rs 101500 crore allocated for MGNREGA works this fiscal>
K DEVI PADMANABHAN FIELD PUBLICITY OFFICER TIRUCHIRAPALLI
Mahatma Gandhi National rural employment Guarantee act MGNREGA ensures 100 day job and equivalent wages for rural people. This has been source of livelihood for many rural people and one of the most popular flagship programmes of union government. With the announcement of Covid 19 lockdown in March, all MGNREGA works were stopped. The resumption of MGNREGA works after relaxation in lockdown norms recently had rejuvenated rural livelihood. The people have wholeheartedly welcomed the initiative and thanked the government for enhanced wages. Government had stressed that priority will be given to creation of assets of water conservation, irrigation and agriculture related works. Union Rural development ministry announced that in this financial year, Rs 61,500 crore has been allocated for works under MGNREGA. Apart from this under Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan Rs 40,000 crore has been additionally allocated to provide employment to needy workers in rural areas under MGNREGA.
Shri Manickam MGNREGA , work supervisor in Trichy Thottiyam, Manamedu village said that 69 persons have come for MGNREGA works and they are working under safe distance norms. Smt Nithila from Poonampalayam Tiruchirapalli district says that they are happy that MGNREGA works have resumed after relaxation in lockdown norms. She said they are working under strict 3 feet safe distance norms. She urged government to give more work days which will help them to earn more wages.
Smt Tamilarasi MGNREGA work supervisor in Karur Kumaramangalam says that 93 persons are working in her Panchayat maintaining strict safe distance norms. She said that she is monitoring MGNREGA workers wearing face masks. She thanks central and state governments for resuming the MGNREGA works. Smt Sumathi from Eachankattupatti village in Karur says that she is happy to work again after lockdown for MGNREGA jobs. She said that the workers are happy to earn increased wages at a difficult time. During covid 19 lockdown they didn’t had any job badly affecting the family.
Smt Maheswari work supervisor from Karur Thogamalai Kalugur village says MGNREGA works are being done in batches of twenty persons each. Smt Nageswari from Naganoor village Karur urged government to give continuous work under MGNREGA as it gives some income for her family. Smt Bagiyam of Karur Aiyarmalai thanks government for resumption of MGNREGA works and said she gets just one week job in a month and urged for increasing work days .
MGNREGA wages were increased to Rs 256 in Tamil Nadu since April. Rural workers are urging government to increase the number of days per year so that they will get steady income. With the covid 19 lockdown, people have returned to their villages from cities and therefore there is a need to employ them and the government had additionally allocated Rs 40000 crore to MGNREGA. MGNREGA safeguards livelihood of rural people and the government is doing its best to provide income to the rural population by means of various schemes under Atmanirbhar Bharat
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